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LATEST:
- VEPOWER to break ground on bio-energy nursery
- VEPOWER ready for implementation of two sustainable, renewable energy, high-efficiency power plants in the UK
- VEPOWER signs technical consultancy contract with major European energy company
- VEPOWER signs exclusivity agreement for 50,000 hectare bio-energy plantation in West Africa
- VEPOWER grants technology licence to a bio-diesel plant in South Wales
- VEPOWER enters MOU with the Punjab provincial Government for bio-energy plantation developments
- VEPOWER enters MOU with the Punjab provincial Government for the development of renewable power systems for water and sewerage pumping
1. VEPOWER to break ground on bio-energy nursery
VEPOWER Limited is to break ground on their new nursery in Southern Europe. The nursery will bring on Jatropha curcas saplings to be dispatched to plantations around the World. The plants will be grown from seed of known provenance and cultivated for resilience and hardiness. The nursery will work on organic principles to aid conscientious growers in their sustainability endeavours.
VEPOWER Limited is partnering with Private Energy Development & Management Ltd. to establish a nursery for the growing of Jatropha curcas saplings. The goal is to aid plantation owners in developing their plots without the issues surrounding the nursery phase. The young plants will be cultivated to express the plants’ natural resilience and hardiness while being protected from hazards that can impact development of the young trees.
VEPOWER will hit all the sustainability markers by using natural fertilisers and pesticides, reducing irrigation to natural rainfall (with top-ups if drought occurs) and planting on land not previously used for food production. The sapling trees will be cultivated until 90 days old when they will be available for shipping to VEPOWER’s international clients.
Jatropha curcas has been both buoyed up by promoters claiming the plant to be a wonder crop requiring no inputs and devalued by dissenters who point to the failure of plantations to deliver on promises and the way these miss-managed plantations swallow resources. The real case sits somewhere in between these opinions: well managed Jatropha plantations require little irrigation, pesticide or synthetic fertiliser. The plants are capable of absorbing the little mineral nutrients they require with little precipitation given well prepared soil and some old fashioned husbandry methods.
VEPOWER expects to be shipping their first ‘crop’ at the latter end of September 2010 and are taking orders and bookings now. Visit the website at www.vepower.com/seedlings.html to contact the Company.
This news item on Environmental Expert
This story in Biofuels International
2. VEPOWER ready for implementation of two sustainable, renewable energy, high-efficiency power plants in the UK
Sustainable energy company VEPOWER Limited has completed its plans to implement its 50MW and entry level urban power plants. The designs look to promise ultra high efficiencies in excess of 83%, a super low carbon footprint for the energy supplied and a minimal visual impact on the site.
The plants will utilise a combination of the latest proven technologies to reduce energy wastage. A normal diesel engine wastes >50% of the energy from the fuel as heat radiated from the cooling and lubrication or engine block and as heat in the exhaust gases. VEPOWER is employing a combination of solutions to reduce this waste to an absolute minimum.
Run of the mill power stations burn copious amounts of fossil fuels (mainly gas and coal in the UK) to generate electricity. VEPOWER’s plants will consume recovered organic waste carefully blended with small amounts of specially cultivated sustainable energy crops (a ‘third generation bio-fuel’, not biodiesel). Since the plants which yielded this fuel were consuming carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere mere months previous, the plants will not emit gases that may contribute to global warming.
VEPOWER’s engineers are developing the 50MW plant building design to have a minimal profile. With the building sculpted into the landscape, the roof will be turfed with native grasses and added wild flowers. As the preferred site is classed as a ‘brown field site’ with the remnants of industry in situ the designs offer a regeneration of the environment for the plot’s neighbours.
3. VEPOWER signs technical consultancy contract with major European energy company
VEPOWER has been commissioned by a major European electricity company to provide a range of technical services.
These services include the location and evaluation of suppliers of the bio-fuel crop Jatropha curcas. VEPOWER is deploying the company’s technical resources and market experience to find all suppliers and then to evaluate them as to their capacities, ecological soundness and business stability. The goal is to find reliable supplies of tens of thousands of tonnes of the fuel oil ready for plant operations.
Further, the power company has asked VEPOWER to assist in technical developments of its planned South European plant. VEPOWER has expertise in oil processing and particularly in the preparation of oil for injection into various power plant types: diesel engines, gas turbines, boilers, etc.
4. VEPOWER signs exclusivity agreement for 50,000 hectare bio-energy plantation in West Africa
In order to add to secured supplies of bio-fuel, VEPOWER is investing in and seeking fellow investors for an established plantation company in West Africa. The African company has 50,000 ha of land unsuitable for food production, with 100 ha already planted
The plantation grows Jatropha curcas, the emerging leader in commercial bio-fuel crops. Jatropha has a major advantage over many oil crops as it is not used in food production. Further Jatropha has been cultivated in Africa for many decades, being used for fuel as well as applications such as soap making.
VEPOWER does not see Jatropha as a ‘wonder-crop’ as numerous proponents have cried. VEPOWER understands that great effort is needed as well as sensitive management to reap healthy yields that can help redress the UK’s carbon balance.
The project plans include the need for social projects in the local area. Two villages border the plantation site. These will benefit from improved infrastructure and enhanced employment opportunities.
This news item on Environmental Expert
This story in Biofuels International
5. VEPOWER grants technology licence to a bio-diesel plant in South Wales
VEPOWER Limited has granted a technology licence to the community operated co-operative Sundance Renewables Limited. The firm is now poised to increase both quantity and quality of fuel production in support of the local Newport community.
VEPOWER Limited was approached late in 2009 by the directors of Sundance Renewables Limited (www.sundancerenewables.org.uk) for assistance in enhancing their biodiesel refining process. After several discussions Mr Cross and Mr Bedding of VEPOWER visited the site and struck the licence deal with the directors.
Sundance produce biodiesel from used cooking oil (UCO) gathered from the locality. Much of this fuel is purchased by local haulage firms and other professional drivers. Sundance intends now to step up production and service a greater number of local firms with the renewable alternative to mineral diesel.
VEPOWER’s technology will facilitate more efficient production and far greater control over the quality of the finished product. The firm’s expertise in process design and plant engineering will be put to good work refining the process flow, improving homogeneity of process steps and implementing robust quality control procedures.
Sundance and VEPOWER anticipate increasing production capacity to 1 million tonnes of biodiesel 2010 and doing so more efficiently and so more economically, improving value for money for Sundance’s many local clients.
This news item on Environmental Expert
6. VEPOWER enters MOU with the Punjab provincial Government for bio-energy plantation developments
On Monday 10th of May officers from VEPOWER Limited signed MOU with the Government of Punjab, Pakistan citing the Government’s support and intent to assist VEPOWER in developing bio-energy plantations on non-agricultural land in the Province. Over the coming years with the support of the Government, VEPOWER will establish many acres of plantation to grow oil bearing crops for the production of green fuels.
The Province of Punjab, Pakistan, is enduring a massive energy crisis right now.
Knowing VEPOWER’s expertise in green Power the company was invited by the Province’s Chief Minister, Mr Shahbaz Sharif to attend and participate at the Energy Roundtable in Lahore on Friday, 7th May.
On Monday the 10th, following extensive meetings with various of the Government departments, VEPOWER and the Government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding. This outlines the Government’s commitment to assisting VEPOWER in acquiring suitable land and VEPOWER’s commitment to speedy action.
Unlike many bio-energy plantations VEPOWER’s design is based on the ecology of the plants and of the site. The organic model reduces the need for irrigation, the need for fertilisers and the need for pesticides. Further, VEPOWER is aware of the various issues surrounding large plantations and has designed the layout to prevent wildfire disease and encourage wildlife.
More important than the need for sensitive agriculture is the need to support the plantation staff and their families. VEPOWER is committed to the provision or support of local facilities for health care and education, encouraging and aiding the continuation of education through to 16 and beyond.
VEPOWER has struck a deal with a local fuel company to process the fuel within a couple of hours drive of the plantations. With this local firm, VEPOWER plans to develop a 120,000 tonnes/year (~138,000,000 litres) biodiesel plant. Some oil will be used for the production of electrical power for the region. The waste ‘seedcake’ will similarly be used to generate power.
7. VEPOWER enters MOU with the Punjab provincial Government for the development of renewable power systems for water and sewerage pumping
On Monday 10th of May officers from VEPOWER Limited signed MOU with the Government of Punjab, Pakistan citing the Government’s support and intent to assist VEPOWER in engineering renewable energy in powering the Province’s mains water and sewerage handling systems. Over the coming years with the support of the Government, VEPOWER will engineer a variety of tailored solutions for the Water Company’s various facilities.
WASA, Punjab’s water authority is the biggest user of electrical power in the Province. With Pakistan’s current power crisis this makes WASA one of the bodies most affected by the frequent load shedding (short blackouts). Hence WASA desires to break away from dependence on the national power grid and take the opportunity to go green simultaneously. VEPOWER has been tasked to provide feasible solutions for this.
The city of Lahore generates more than 45,360 tonnes of sewerage every hour.
VEPOWER is a renewable energy company. The Company has expertise in bio-energy and, with technical partners, is developing hybrid solutions to power the many small pumping stations comprising the WASA network.
VEPOWER is commissioned to initially make a feasibility study into solutions for the provision of remote power through renewable technologies. Given these results VEPOWER will engineer solutions to suit the wide variety of pumping station designs across urban and rural Punjab. The initial study will also seek to establish the feasibility of upgrading the station pumps for greater efficiency.
The hybrid systems will draw on energy from the sun, wind and bio-fuels to create a 24/7 solution with minimal environmental impact. VEPOWER is working with a local fuel company to develop a biodiesel production plant near Lahore to reliably supply green biodiesel to the pumping stations.
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